Pokemon GO: What Is Prestige?

If you, like millions of other people, have been pouring your life into Pokemon GO lately, you might have noticed that the game doesn’t explain a whole lot. From new features to simple terms, there’s a lot to learn, including what exactly Prestige is.

Prestige is a sort of score donned by every Gym. It represents the collective CP or ‘Combat Points’ of the Pokemon defending that Gym, stationed there by players of the Gym’s ruling team. An exceptionally high Prestige Gym will be more difficult to take down, while a lower level Gym of lower Prestige will be less of a challenge.

Winning battles against the Gym’s Pokemon will lower Prestige, and once it hits zero, you essentially boot the current team out of that Gym. You’ll then be able to station your Pokemon there and claim it for your own team. Players belonging to your team will now be able to station their own Pokemon there to defend it. Fun fact: if your Pokemon has the highest CP of all Pokemon stationed there, you will be deemed the Gym Leader.